The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-21
A. SWAMP ANGEL.



scribes o curious trial which took
place IN the circuit court at Murphys-
boro, ILL.,, recently
At the close Of the unnrt the sheriff
announced that a prisoner wis Ian-
gushing in jail charged with stHnlIns
skiff on the Mississippi Hs de-
scribed the prisoner i'm terms uisnally
applied to haH-civiliucd horSersnnen
Or to wild men of the sRle-show, snd
sugge sted slight case OF non eors-
pos mentis.
"Bring the prisoner into court"
commanded the Judge, amid general
laughter.
The prisoner stalked down the aisle.
All eyes turned on him, and every
body laughed. He was a nondescript
caricature OF nature-a perfect swamp
angel-over six feet tall, gaunt visag-
ed, sallow-complexioned, long, unev.
TN, black whiskers, with coarse, black,
unkept, hair, falling uncombed over
his shoulders and forehead. under
which were q pair OF dark, keen, rest
less eyes. He wore a close-ftting
Jumper, a pair OF overalls rolled up
to the knees, showing the black pants
beneath, which terminated four inches
above rough, boat-like brogans,
showing his ankles, innocent of socks.
Like true child OF nature he walked
into the prisoners box with a non.
chalant air OF innocence, and don't
care look that seemed to say, swell,
Pm ready for the sacrifice"
The Judge smiled, leaned forward
from his high eminence and said,
sharply:
"You are the man who stole the
boat, are your"
Swamp Angel-Wal, yes; but thar's
pint in the case, ledge. They charg-
ed me with stealin' it in the morning,
but didn't steal it till after dark.
Great laughter. l don't want to be
tried till they get Peter Cooper This
partner. He is worser man ner l
am. He steals wimmen, girls, fish
hooks and everything. Roars OF
laughter, joined in by the court.
Pete wanted to keep the boat, but I
intended to return it arter / took my
things down the river.
The court-Then we must defer trial
till the August term.
S. A.-No, ledge, don't want to lie
in jail till August. I want ter be tried
now.
The court-Have you an attorney
to defend you?
S. A.-No, and don't want any. ]
hain't got no money but few Ger
man coins for keepsakes. They
wouldn't hire a good lawyer, and /
wouldn't have no poor one. He'd
only make it worse for me.
The court appointed three prom
inent lawyers to defend him. The
states attorney assumed thSt all was
ready for trial and called witnesses,
when the Swamp Angels attorney
whispered something to him and he
sprang up and demanded an opening
statement. The nonplussed states
attorney complied, after which the de-
fendant stated his side OF the case.
With awkward gestures and I'M
couth language he admitted stealing
the boat, but blamed Peter Cooper
Tor it.
The people clearly established the
stealing OF the boat by three good
witnesses. The S. A. defendant then
took the stand in his own behalf, while
his three prominent lawyers sat back,
giving him a pointer now and then,
and enjoying the laughable farce, as
did the entire court and audience. It
was the missing link before the highest
attainment OF civilization. To the
Jury he owned stealing the boat, but
said it was leaky and not worth much;
it wasn't worth over So. He said he
would pay the BOYS 81 so a day for
the time they lost in going after him.
He agreed to give the jury his
blankets and pistol and knife, but
"he'd he burned il he'd give up his
good old rifle" OF which he spoke very
affectionately. He'd go to the peni-
tertiary for fifteen years first.
He commenced telling of log-rollings
and whisky. His counsel whispered
that some OF the jury were temperate
men. He then related how one day
on the island he had determined to
quit drinking, and he had never drank
a drop OF liquor since. He was tenn
perance. His counsel whispered that
be must establish good reputation
for truth and veracity, whereupon he
vehemently declared that his char
acter was unquestioned on the island
where he lived. This brought down
the house with laughter.
When the jury took the case he In
sisted on retiring with them to explain
the situation, but this the court heart
lessly denied.